


To Take Away Its Pain

by ivarara



Series: other hk writing [10]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: im so sorry aaaaaaaaaa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24191299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivarara/pseuds/ivarara
Summary: The two of them had seen an ugly, broken thing, and had figured out how to take away its pain. Not through the vessel’s Void devilry, not through the brute strength Hornet possessed, but with care and love.
Series: other hk writing [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558498
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	To Take Away Its Pain

**Author's Note:**

> HEAVILY inspired by warframe. listened to smile from juran/to take away its pain and cried, then wrote this

They were my greatest pride, a hero, the hollow one. **  
**

They were to save my kingdom, as it were. The Radiance would no longer control my people’s minds. They would think for themselves.

And so, they are confined in the Temple. The Dreamers, my dearest cohorts, sacrifice themselves to seal the doors to any wandering intruders to prevent Her escape.

Except.

They were not as hollow as assumed to be. She used this for her own benefit, clawing and writhing against her confines with the footholds she had gained.

Suffering is all they know; I am aware of this.

The throbbing pain is something they’ve grown to live with, something they cannot escape.

They live like this, and they will die like this, too.

Only one burning memory replays in their mind:

_Her taking over their body, breaking it, overwhelming it until she eeks out of the confines to harm innocents. This is their fault. If they were better, stronger, more hollow, this would not have happened. But they had hoped, unfortunately; it had hoped and loved and look where it got them._

And so, it suffered silently as She festered in their mind, growing and swarming and furling as She riled against her cage.

They know it is inevitable.

\--

When the chains are broken, it emerges as a feral, vicious thing. Roaring and slashing with its nail, it holds no mercy for whoever had managed to stumble inside. Their mind is fogged by the infection, clouding their judgement with only one goal in mind: kill. 

But the others are prepared. They whittle away the Knight’s ferocity, slowly wringing the attacks down to feeble swipes. 

As they collapse to their knees, the princess lashes out, prying the mask apart. She shouts to the sibling, who focuses and enters the Dream.

\--

As they come to, they are met by two faces. The sister and the sibling. They feebly move to flinch away from their faces, likely expecting to be punished for their failure somehow. The memory of Her still clings to their mind, and She had taught them that anything, anything, caused pain. Touch. Vision. Movement. Thinking.

But the two of them did not lash out. They did not scold the Hollow Knight. 

The small vessel laid a hand on their leg. This one, I know now, is the truly hollow one, the Shade Lord embodied in a vessel. The Hollow Knight flinches away from the touch at first, retreating away and huddling into themself. The vessel persists, scooting closer with wide, imploring eyes.

They will not harm their sibling.

The other, I know personally: the princess, one of my own. Hornet, she is called. Daughter of Herrah the Beast, she is nimble on her feet and swift with her needle. 

She does not lash out. She kneels, cradling the Knight’s mask in her claws.

Again, the Knight retreats from the touch, but they do not get far. Hornet holds them steady, looking straight into their eyes. 

“You are safe,” she murmurs. “She is gone. We are here with you. We will help you, understand?”

The Knight stares at her blankly.

“For so long you have suffered, sibling,” she continues. “Today, it ends. We will heal your wounds, little Ghost and I. We will teach you to value yourself once more.”

In that moment, I had realized something.

The two of them had seen an ugly, broken thing, and had figured out how to take away its pain. Not through the vessel’s Void devilry, not through the brute strength Hornet possessed, but with care and love.

Am I proud? Should I be thankful for someone pitying my greatest mistake?

I set that aside for later consideration.


End file.
